By Allah, we did not know whether we should take off the clothes of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as we took off the clothes of our dead, or wash him while his clothes were on him. When they (the people) differed among themselves, Allah cast slumber over them until every one of them had put his chin on his chest. Then a speaker spoke from a side of the house, and they did not know who he was: Wash the Prophet ﷺ while his clothes are on him. So they stood round the Prophet ﷺ and washed him while he had his shirt on him. They poured water on his shirt, and rubbed him with his shirt and not with their hands. Aisha used to say: If I had known beforehand about my affair what I found out later, none would have washed him except his wives.  

سَمِعْتُ عَائِشَةَ تَقُولُ لَمَّا أَرَادُوا غَسْلَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ مَا نَدْرِي أَنُجَرِّدُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ ثِيَابِهِ كَمَا نُجَرِّدُ مَوْتَانَا أَمْ نُغَسِّلُهُ وَعَلَيْهِ ثِيَابُهُ فَلَمَّا اخْتَلَفُوا أَلْقَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمُ النَّوْمَ حَتَّى مَا مِنْهُمْ رَجُلٌ إِلاَّ وَذَقْنُهُ فِي صَدْرِهِ ثُمَّ كَلَّمَهُمْ مُكَلِّمٌ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ الْبَيْتِ لاَ يَدْرُونَ مَنْ هُوَ أَنِ اغْسِلُوا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَعَلَيْهِ ثِيَابُهُ فَقَامُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَغَسَلُوهُ وَعَلَيْهِ قَمِيصُهُ يَصُبُّونَ الْمَاءَ فَوْقَ الْقَمِيصِ وَيُدَلِّكُونَهُ بِالْقَمِيصِ دُونَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ تَقُولُ لَوِ اسْتَقْبَلْتُ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُ مَا غَسَّلَهُ إِلاَّ نِسَاؤُهُ  

[Machine] "We wanted to wash the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , but the people had a disagreement regarding it. Some of them said, 'We should strip the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as we strip our dead or wash him while his clothes are on.' So Allah revealed the Sunnah upon them until every single one of them had fallen asleep with his chin on his chest. Then someone from the direction of the Ka'bah said, 'Don't you know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is to be washed with his clothes on?' So they washed him while his shirt was on, pouring water over it and rubbing it gently over him. Aisha said, 'By Allah, if I did not know that it was from the order of Allah, I would not have washed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ except for his garments.'"  

أَرَدْنَا غُسْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاخْتَلَفَ الْقَوْمُ فِيهِ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَنُجَرِّدُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَمَا نُجَرِّدُ مَوْتَانَا أَوْ نُغَسِّلُهُ وَعَلَيْهِ ثِيَابُهُ فَأَلْقَى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهُمُ السُّنَّةَ حَتَّى مَا مِنْهُمْ رَجُلٌ إِلَّا نَائِمٌ ذَقْنُهُ عَلَى صَدْرِهِ فَقَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْ نَاحِيَةِ الْبَيْتِ أَمَا تَدْرُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُغَسَّلُ وَعَلَيْهِ ثِيَابُهُ؟ فَغَسَّلُوهُ وَعَلَيْهِ قَمِيصُهُ يَصُبُّونَ الْمَاءَ عَلَيْهِ وَيُدَلِّكُونَهُ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ «وَايْمُ اللَّهِ لَوِ اسْتَقْبَلْتُ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا اسْتَدْبَرْتُ مَا غَسَّلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَّا نِسَاؤُهُ»